Fictional US President Frank Underwood has created a lot of problems for a real organization called America Works

The real-life America Works is prepared to do battle with the toughest fictional president in recent history.
Netflix
A Washington organization isn't too happy with Netflix, or its award-winning series "House of Cards."

America Works, the real company, lashed out Friday at the show because it borrows the organization's name for the title of a controversial (again, totally fictional) piece of legislation being proposed by President Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey.

"House of Cards not only used the trademarked name without authorization from the actual firm, but also pulled elements from the real America Works' mission and history," a spokesperson said in a statement. "The ideology behind the House of Cards 'America Works,' however, confuses the philosophy underpinning the real America Works."

This is about more than trademarks and branding. It's also about inconvenience being created.

"America Works and its principals have received many calls and emails asking why America Works is offering programs that divert Social Security funds (or hurricane relief funds) to pay for its job placements and whether America Works is trying to eliminate Social Security," the company said through a spokesperson. "To the contrary, the real America Works does nothing of the kind."

It sounds like some of President Underwood's biggest fans are having a little trouble discerning reality from fiction, and this is clearly agitating the 30-year-old employment agency.

The real America Works is also based in Washington D.C., and helps people find jobs — although, as they specify, they have nothing to do with a fictional plan to cut entitlement spending to put more Americans to work. In a statement, the organization says, it has gotten "500,000 hard-to-place individuals" into new jobs.

Business Insider has put in a call to the real America Works, and will update this post if they comment.

*UPDATE: A prior version of this post characterized America Works, the real company, as a non-profit. America Works is a for-profit organization.